Last week, Social Circle showed why it’s one of the top teams in Class A Division I by sweeping Putnam County.
The No. 4 Redskins easily took the three-game series against the War Eagles, winning 9-1, 14-4, and 13-5.
Putnam County head coach Stephen Phillips gave credit to the Redskins, who entered the week 16-1 overall.
“Yeah, not the outcome we wanted, but it felt like we grew a little in the series,” Phillips said. “Social Circle is a solid program that does a lot of things well. They don’t hurt themselves, so you have to earn everything.”
A recurring theme for Putnam County this season has been its struggles on the mound. The pitching staff has faced challenges by giving up too many free bases, whether through walks, hit batters, or wild pitches.
Those struggles continued against Social Circle, especially in the first game when the War Eagles lost 9-1. Their pitchers combined to walk eight batters, but their defense also didn’t help, committing five errors.
“I feel like we’ve swung the bats well, but again, pitching has allowed too many free bases,” Phillips admitted.
“Against a good team like Social Circle, if you have [too many] errors or walks, they make you pay.”
The Redskins out-hit Putnam County 11-3 in game one. Their pitching staff also struck out nine with zero walks.
Despite also losing games two and three of the series, the War Eagles were at least more competitive.
Social Circle won game two with a 14-4 decision in six innings. The Redskins led 4-0 after two innings, but a three-run outburst for Putnam County in the top of the third inning made it a close game. However, the War Eagles then gave up six runs in the bottom of the third and never recovered last Friday.
Juniors Jackson Dodd and Gates Lanzarone had multi-hit games. Fellow junior Branan Griffin hit the three-run homer that put Putnam County back in contention in the third inning. Their offense also combined for six hits in the loss.
Unfortunately, Putnam County’s defense committed four errors, which didn’t help its chances of winning.
The third and final game also went in Social Circle’s favor as the Redskins topped the War Eagles 13-5 in seven innings.
Putnam County limited its errors in the third game, although free bases were a problem. Social Circle benefited from 14 walks.
After the first inning, the score was tied 1-1, but the Redskins broke the game open in the second. They scored five runs, then added five more over the next two innings as Putnam County struggled to get off the field.
The War Eagles got back a few runs in the fifth and sixth, but it was a little too late.
Griffin and Lanzarone both went 2-for-4 at the plate. Griffin also had a team-high three RBIs in game three.
Despite the losses, Phillips said he was impressed with how Dodd, Griffin, and Lanzarone swung the bat against Social Circle during the series.
“They’re having quality at-bats. They’re either taking walks or barreling up on the ball,” Phillips explained of the group. “They have all worked hard in the batting cages to get better approaches and swings on the ball.”
Social Circle ended a three-game winning streak for Putnam County. The War Eagles entered the week with a 5-11 overall record and a 3-3 mark in region play. They continued region competition this week against Lamar County.